The City of Ryde's Battle of the Bands celebrated its 21st birthday in suitably raucous style on 17 April 2026 when an excited crowd packed into Lachlan's Line Auditorium and rocked out to some fantastic young musical talent.
This year's winners and runners up were:
1st Place - Freak: Formed in 2020 and runners-up in last year's Battle of the Bands, Freak delivered a tight three‑piece rock set shaped by influences from Silverchair and Green Day through to Sleep Token, Parkway Drive and Bring Me the Horizon. The band is currently self‑recording an upcoming album. They won a studio recording package through Katcha Music Studio.
2nd Place - There Goes Me: There Goes Me brought dynamic indie/alternative rock with guitar‑driven songwriting and engaging live performance. Since forming in 2023, they've built momentum across Sydney, including support slots (notably for Surf Trash) and a feature on Triple J Unearthed. They received a $500 gift voucher from Mall Music.
3rd Place - The Commissioners: The Commissioners blended punk‑rock, grunge, indie and alternative influences, performing original songs including Lost and Sour Lemonade. After appearances at City of Ryde's Granny Smith Festival, they have continued to develop their sound as an emerging young band. They received a $250 gift voucher from Mall Music.
The competition was open to local musicians aged between 12 and 24 and competing bands were judged on musicality, stage presence and Personality, original material, professionalism and overall quality of performance.
City of Ryde Mayor Trenton Brown (pictured above with the members of Freak) said Battle of the Bands was a wonderful platform for aspiring young local musicians to launch their careers.
"I had a fantastic time listening to some really accomplished bands getting their chance to shine in front of an appreciative and amazingly supportive audience," he said.
"It's always inspiring to see the incredible creative talent that exists in our youth community.
"I'd like to thank the judges, event organisers, volunteers, sponsors and supporters who made the night such a success, with a special mention to local community radio station 2RRR, whose Youth Jukebox team provided a live broadcast of the night's performances."
